Street murals enhance ‘pedestrian buffers’ along Santa Fe Drive

Heather Burke, spokesperson for Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), said the city has been collaborating with residents in the area and the Santa Fe Business Improvement District for several years to plan improvements for the road.

“We collaborated with the community to not only enhance the experience for people that walk that section of the corridor, but also enhance the uniqueness of the corridor,” Burke said. “We have the artists out there right now trying to help us make the pedestrian space more inviting while keeping true to the history of that Arts District.”

The pedestrian buffers are part of the larger Santa Fe Streetscape Improvements project that aims to improve safety and the overall pedestrian experience in the Santa Fe Arts District between 6th Avenue and Colfax.

Burke said that the project's pedestrian-focus reflects the overarching goals of Denver’s Vision Zero initiative, announced by Mayor Hancock in 2017.

“Through our Vision Zero program we’re creating safer streets, because safer streets can save lives,” Burke said. “Pedestrians are our most vulnerable users on the roadway, so we’re trying to implement more projects that can help them have safer travels.”

The Santa Fe improvements were recommended in a study (pdf) that found people walking or biking were involved in 51% of crashes involving injuries in the corridor between 2014 and 2018.

Safety treatments being implemented along the corridor from 6th to Colfax Avenues include:

• Reconfiguring Santa Fe from three travel lanes to two to calm traffic and reduce vehicle speeds; the reconfiguration will center the vehicle travel lanes and add a five-foot buffer between the on-street parking spaces and existing sidewalk to provide people with more space and comfort to walk.
• Using bollards and paint at intersections to shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians
• New signage to dedicate left turn lanes at the intersections of 6th, 7th, 8th, and 11th Avenues to accommodate traffic flow
• Adding two “parklets” adjacent to the sidewalk to provide a place for people to sit and gather
• New bike racks to provide people on bikes/scooters dedicated places to park and reduce conflicts with pedestrians on the sidewalk
• Realigning bus stops for better placement and spacing to make bus travel more efficient
• More seating, planters, and lighting enhancements to improve pedestrian visibility, safety and comfort

Burke said that the artwork and additional streetscape features should be complete by the end of November, or into December, depending on the weather.